Our Coaches
All our coaches are voice professionals with years of experience both in voice, communication and teaching and training. They are handpicked after an extensive interview process, for their ear, their expertise, their warmth and that special je ne sais quoi! Every one of our coaches has gone through extensive training in The Serlin Method™ in addition to their own training.
Principal Coaches
JAMIE CHAPMAN
Principal Coach
Coach Jamie trained as a teacher of Speech and Drama with the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and holds their Licentiate Teacher’s Diploma (LLAM Hons). He has some 14 years’ experience in working with both international and UK students on accent softening, vocal technique and presentation skills. Jamie is also a professional actor (having trained at the prestigious Bristol Old Vic Theatre School) and has worked at theatres up and down the country – (including a years run in the British classic ‘The Mousetrap’ in the West End) as well as being in the cast of various television serials. He is an excellent and passionate teacher, deeply committed to his work facilitating accent softening and effective communication with London Speech Workshop.
GILLY SHARPES
Principal Coach
Coach Gilly trained as a Voice Teacher at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama and has over twenty years experience working as a Voice, Accent and Dialect Coach. She has coached actors, lecturers, barristers and other professionals in theatre, television and the commercial sector, supporting them to be more powerful and effective communicators both through accent work and effective communication. She has also worked at many major drama schools, including Central, LAMDA and Mountview. Gilly is also a trained Alexander Technique teacher. She is passionate about sounds, words, language and the power of communication and is delighted to bring her experience and expertise to London Speech Workshop, which she feels is a perfect match for her passionate and focussed way of working.
SAM FERREE
Principal Coach
Coach Sam is a highly experienced Speech, Voice and Communication Specialist. She has an MA in Voice Studies from Central School of Speech and Drama and taught accents and RP in several London drama schools before moving into Corporate Training. Sam has coached Speech and Effective Communication skills for over 15 years to business professionals both in the UK and Internationally. By creating a safe and focused working space, she is dedicated to bring empowerment and confidence to her clients so that they become the best communicators they can be.
CAT CLANCY
Principal Coach
Coach Cat is a highly experienced Communication Specialist, with an English degree from Oxford University, and has delivered bespoke training to business professionals for over thirteen years. She has been featured twice in The Guardian, and appeared as an expert Voice Coach on BBC Radio 4. Cat also trained as an actor at The Webber Douglas Academy and toured with the prestigious Sir Peter Hall Company, before becoming a professional Director. Cat is passionate about making the learning process as constructive and enjoyable as possible, and offering clients the tools to represent their expertise in an authentic, persuasive way.
Senior Coaches
ALICE DEVILLE
Senior Coach
Coach Alice is a highly experienced performance coach, vocal technique specialist and performer. She has a Masters in Vocal Studies from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and has performed widely as an opera singer across the UK and Europe, including at Glyndebourne, Wigmore Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. Her coaching draws on her extensive experience as a professional opera singer, and as a teacher at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and her North London voice studio. Alice is a committed and empathetic teacher, passionate about empowering people through Effective Communication coaching at the London Speech Workshop.
OLIVIA DARNLEY
Senior Coach
Coach Olivia has over 5 years’ experience in working with both international and UK clients on accent softening, vocal technique and presentation skills. Following a Bachelor degree in English and Drama at Birmingham University she earned a Masters of Drama at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Olivia is also a professional actor and in her 18 year career has worked in the West End, on Broadway, for the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre as well as many ITV and BBC TV productions. She is fascinated by accents, voices and language. She focuses on giving her clients the confidence to speak with clarity and in an authentic communication style.
NICK BLAKELEY
Senior Coach
Coach Nick is an experienced communications coach, having worked with a range of clients in Communication Skills, Presentation Technique and Accent Softening over the past seven years. He studied English and Drama at the University of Bristol, before training as a professional actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Nick has worked in theatres across the country, including the National Theatre and in the West End. He is a professional voiceover actor, and has been featured on advertisements for Cancer Research and Lidl. Nick is an empathetic and dedicated coach who is passionate about making the process enjoyable, whilst providing you with the tools to make your communication as effective as possible.
JO TINCEY
Senior Coach
Coach Jo trained as an actor at RADA, after which she won the BBC Carleton Hobbs Award and spent 6 months in the Radio Drama company. Alongside her work as an actor and voice actor, Jo has cultivated a career in drama-based training, working as a role-player, facilitator and training designer to create and deliver customised training interactions on communication, leadership, engagement and diversity and inclusion across the corporate sector. Jo has also worked 1:1 with clients to hone presentation skills and communication and is most at home when empowering people to share what matters to them in a way that is both authentic and engaging.
ALISON TENNANT
Senior Coach
Alison has been a voice coach for over 5 years, specialising in interview technique and presentation skills. Having trained as an actress and singer at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Alison has been able to draw from her experience (working for the likes of Birmingham Rep, The BBC and Working title) to empower clients across both the creative and corporate worlds. Alison is a passionate, intuitive and empathetic coach, working with each client in the individual way which she feels best serves them to help bring out their authentic voice.
KATE GUEST
Senior Coach
Coach Kate is a highly experienced, professional voice coach. She has an MFA in Voice Studies from the internationally acclaimed, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She specialises in Accent Softening and has over 5 years experience in this area. In addition to this she trained as an actress at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and has a degree in Psychology. She is passionate about empowering clients to find clarity, confidence and gravitas in their speech and communication.
FINN HANLON
Senior Coach
I have always been fascinated with how we tell stories. Having studied acting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, I embarked on a career travelling the world and performing some of the greatest stories to a global audience in small intimate spaces, large auditoriums and vast amphitheatres. During my work in theatre, film and as a voice over artist, my fascination with how we tell stories developed into a passion for making sure each and every performance connected with every member of the audience. This skillset, and the intrigue to understand how we can truly connect with our audience, led me to work with people in challenging situations to support them with communication skills that would lead to better future outcomes. It was from here that I fell in love with coaching and since then I have been lucky enough to work with individuals and high profile organisations on a wide range of personal and professional communication needs. My goal is simple, to empower every communicator to be able to truly connect with their listeners in any space, at any time, in their own authentic voice.
MARK EDEL-HUNT
Senior Coach
Mark grew up German-English bilingual. He’s been translating across the two sides of his family and bridging the gaps in effective communication from the very start. Training as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, gave him a deep technical and emotional understanding of voice, speech, and language. Alongside his acting work, Mark forged a career as a role-player, coach, facilitator, and course designer, in a range of corporate learning and development programs. These included diversity and inclusion, interview technique and recruitment best practice, presentation skills, sales, feedback and performance management, and career conversations, across a range of sectors. Mark has a wealth of experience working inside SME and larger corporate environments and, most recently, was Managing Director of BLOK, an omni-channel health and fitness start-up with over 200 staff and global customer reach. Passionate about helping clients communicate their authentic self with pride and clarity, Mark brings precision and a sense of fun to his sessions.
